harmony_roleplayfandomcom-20200213-history
Harmony
Harmony, a city created in the North Pacific Ocean approximately fifteen miles off the coast of Port Renfrew, British Colombia; the Welcome Center being located at exactly 48.470252, -124.536135 under 600 feet of water. original concept for Harmony, as it was pitched in the year 1959 to several of his close friends and investors. The Welcome Center can be seen to the upper left, with its spire reaching toward the surface; most of the structures featured in the concept were kept and included in the final design. ]] Invention Harmony was first conceptualized in the year 1959, when multi-millionaire Daysan Harm wanted to create a private retreat for the ultra-rich of Cold War America where those who could pay for freedom could have absolute freedom. The initial idea for Harmony was a pseudo-city, made up of several interconnected structures all identical to one another. However, that idea was scrapped and replaced with the concept image seen above; as a more traditional city layout combined with structures dedicated to separate tasks was more cost effective. Gathering the Money "Money gentlemen... money is the greatest stoppage of mankind's plans. But believe me, your investments would be greatly rewarded." Daysan Harm in a speech to a group of friends and businessmen in 1959. As the CEO of Harm Technological Solutions, or HarmTech for short, Daysan Harm had amassed a net worth of nearly 700 million US dollars personally, with his company being worth nearly five billion. However, all of Harm's estimates put the cost of his brainchild at almost 10 billion dollars, which was before the cost of anchoring the city to the seabed, draining the structures and preparing the infrastructure. Because of the great cost, Harm went to his closest friends, his board of directors and the United States government for assistance. With most of his associates willing to pitch in, and the United States willing to fund the remaining amount in exchange for the creation of a research lab within Harmony; construction was scheduled to begin in July of 1960. Construction The construction of Harmony began on July 1st, 1960 at the HarmTech Industrial Center in Seattle, Washington. Over 18 million metric tons of steel were formed into the major structures of Harmony, with said structures having completely finished interiors, infrastructure pipelines and being airtight before their submerging. These finished buildings were shipped over water to the previously decided point in the Straight of Juan De Fuca just two miles from the US Canada border on the Canadian side. Once in place, the gargantuan structures were submerged to the seabed 600 feet below the surface of the cold, Northern Pacific water. Once in place, Harmony was attached to the seafloor using steel girders sunk into the bedrock; after that any residual water was quickly drained, air was pumped inside and shortly thereafter circulated by several industrial HVAC units. By 1966, Harmony Phase One was deemed livable, and Daysan Harm personally moved his effects to a private level of the first habitation wing. Why the Pacific Ocean? In regards to the location of Harmony, the Northern Pacific Ocean was chosen due to its relatively deep coastal waters and easy access to one of HarmTech's manufacturing facilities. Final Design First Inhabitants (1966 - 1968) When Harmony was christened in 1966, those first allowed to hold a permanent residence were those who could pay the hefty fee. "Unfortunately, things always cost money... and for all of you before me; you have been given but a glimpse of what my beautiful city has to offer. However, to truly enjoy the life underseas that Harmony can present you with... I ask you to pay a small one time residence fee, which will help you make the fast approaching 1967 a fantastic one!" Daysan Harm in a television address after the Harmony Expo of 1966. The Harmony Expo To attract attention among the world's upper class, Harm and some of his closer friends, that being Joseph Boyd and Alexander Goudie believed that inviting several hundred moguls, politicians and film stars for free week of life in Harmony would convince them into buying property in the city. Goudie was placed in charge of inviting those he deemed worthy of living in Harmony, as well as a dozen businessmen that Harm deemed "top priority for residence". The invitations were sent in July of 1966, with nearly 200 regular middle-class workers being hired for the many positions that are required to keep the city functional for when the guests arrived. When the Expo began, 300 people had been invited to live in Harmony for a week completely free of charge. Harm himself, flanked by Joseph Boyd, Alexander Goudie and David Patterson gave a welcome speech to the still in awe guests to welcome them to his life's goal. "Ladies and gentlemen... I welcome you to the fruit of over half a decade of labor! I can guarantee that you all will love being here Harmony and that what you see is but a glimpse of what Harmony can provide to you. Now go, go unpack, unwind and enjoy a preview of life... in Harmony!" Daysan Harm's welcoming speech to the guests of the Harmony Expo. Result of the Expo The week long Expo, while putting a strain on Harmony Security, due to a few drunken brawls between millionaire tycoons went very well overall. And convinced over half of the 300 invited to pay a one-time residence fee of $100,000 for either a full-time or vacation property. Harmony's First Years The full-time residents of Harmony were officially welcomed to the city in January of 1967, and quickly adapted to life hundreds of feet underwater. The wealthy residents had no issue spending money, as Neptune's Bounty and Harmony Mall, two fully enclosed shopping mall provided all of the amenities needed for luxurious living. Residence Deck A was completely full, due to the presence of the property owners and their families, and the lives of said residents continued as if they never left the surface. Growing Pains (1968) The Mall Collapse of 1968 One April 9th, 1968 Harmony Mall, the first shopping center built in the city suffered a catastrophic failure and was depressurized, and collapsed shortly afterward. The Mall Collapse left the community, now numbering 550 completely shocked; as HarmTech safety representatives assured everyone that Harmony was constructed to be safe from catastrophic decompression. Within one day of the tragedy, Daysan Harm personally went to each of the injured victims, as well as the families of those killed and apologized for what had happened. Security Chief Boyd ensued that the rest of Harmony was safe, and immediately launched an investigation into the collapse fearing foul play, as Harmony was specifically tested to survive the depths without decompressing due to pressure. "What happened yesterday has rocked the Security Department, it is our job to keep everyone in this city safe... and if we can't ensure that Harmony is safe to live in... then we sure as hell aren't doing our jobs." Joseph Boyd in a public address following the collapse. Results of the Collapse The Mall Collapse led to 25 citizens resigning their residences and leaving the city permanently, while 44 citizens temporarily left whilst Harmony was being retested for the depths at which it lies. Verdict on the Cause Harmony Security in the end always suspected foul play, as it was discovered that the depressurization and resulting collapse was caused by an exterior window breaking, said window was rated to withstand pressures ten times the depth at which Harmony was situated. Unfortunately, no evidence as to who caused the collapse was uncovered, and thus it was simply labeled as a tragic disaster. Security Concerns After rigorous testing ensured that Harmony was in-fact, safe to inhabit, more people began to move into the city, and the influx of people, primarily lower-class workers in Residence Deck C began to place a serious strain on Harmony Security, and an influx in the crime rate was apparent. The length of the daily briefings that were held among the brass of the cities security forces grew more with every incident. On a routine basis, Security Chief Joseph Boyd brought his concerns to Daysan Harm, however many of Boyd's solutions were considered too harsh by Harm and most of the Harmony Council, so these policies were blocked from implementation. Handling the Problem After becoming fed up with his inability to keep the people of Harmony safe from those who blatantly sought to do them harm, Boyd began disregarding the will of the Council, and his longtime friend. In November of 1968, Harmony Security announced the Internment Doctrine, which involved issuing special identification to most, if not all of the newcomers to the city, and rigorously checking every location an individual traveled to. If anything on the identification seemed suspect, or if any background investigation revealed something illegal or suspicious, then the citizen is restricted to Residence Deck C. "In accordance with Security Ordinance 11-51-C, all non-founding citizens residing in Residence Deck Charlie will be subject to a new form of identification and background investigation, those who are found to be participating in suspect activities, or visiting suspicious locales will be barred from travel outside of their residence deck." Official statement from Harmony Security in the Sunday edition of the Harmony Post, November 11th, 1968. Reaction in the Government After news of Boyd's new solution to the rising crime rate, the Harmony Council was not necessarily against the move, Harm himself thought it was a decent idea, he was, however annoyed with Security's way of handling the situation. No direct action in regards to removing the Internment Doctrine was made within the government. Reaction of the Public The people of Harmony, unlike the government, were largely appalled by the actions of those tasked with keeping them safe, the most backlash came from those living within Residence Deck C, however animosity came from most everyone within the city itself. While no major public organization was made to call for the repeal of the ordinance that created the doctrine, the disdain for the policy was felt. Passage of the Council Oversight Bill In response to public outcry, Harm and the rest of the Harmony Council, save for Boyd, who still supported his decision voted to repeal the Internment Doctrine. However, the representatives from both Residence Block C and B stated that there was more to be done to prevent something that violated citizens rights in the future. In response to this, combined with public pressure, the Council voted 8-1 in favor of imposing the Council Oversight Bill, which required any new ordinances or laws being passed to be brought directly before the council for it to be implemented. Golden Years (1969 - 1975) Three Year Anniversary In September of 1969, the city gathered to celebrate its third year of existence, with massive parties being held over a three day period in multiple locations across Harmony, with notable parties being held at the Tranquility Club, a luxury lounge in Residence Deck A, which was attended by the most elite residents and Neptune's Bounty, with the massive, open mall being reduced to standing room only, as most of the population crammed into the now decorated shopping center to celebrate. In the Tranquility Club, in an elevated area looking at everyone enjoying the evening sat the original founders of the city, Daysan Harm, Joseph Boyd, Alexander Goudie and David Patterson sat and joked among themselves while partaking in what most would consider too much bourbon. However, while everyone else in the room continued dancing, drinking and partying as the clock struck midnight, marking the official third anniversary, the four men, began to discuss the future, not of Harmony, but of the world above them. Predicting the Apocalypse The morning after the anniversary party, after leaving spouses sleeping in bed, and nursing hangovers, the founders of Harmony met in Harm's office in the Council Building, and spent several hours reading newspapers from around the globe and listening in on military radio broadcasts. The United States had invaded the nation of Cambodia, and despite the hope of nuclear non-proliferation, the men foresaw the potentiality of this US incursion into yet another nation as the beginning of the end. As a result, they drew up plans to house an additional five hundred civilians and sixty US government personnel and their families in the event of a nuclear catastrophe. Creation of Free Enterprise As time went on, many of Harmony's elite feared the micro-economy of their city would stagnate, Daysan Harm, being the business tycoon he was, was concerned with this possibility as well, and formulated his own plan as well. As of 1970, the only company that produced consumer devices in the city was HarmTech, and Harm knew that having a monopoly, while good for his wallet was detrimental to the economy of the city, as there was no competition. To mend this issue, Harm contacted the former CFO and CMO of HarmTech, Michael Milan and Walter Abney, and offered to move them into the nicest apartments the city had to offer if they would found a competing company in Harmony. The two agreed without any further questions, and two months later, in March of 1970, A&M Shipping was created, and began to bring outside goods into the city. Shortly after its conception, A&M gave HarmTech a run for its money, and the competition Harm had desired had arrived.